Hand control valve

ABSTRACT

A hand control valve moved by compression of a spring and a shim disc having variable depth pockets whereby the amount of prestressing of the spring may be varied without disassembly of the valve mechanism.

United States Patent Klimek Aug. 8, 1972 [54] HAND CONTROL VALVE [72] Inventor: Boleslaw Klimek, Des Plaines, 111.

[73] Assignee: The Berg Manufacturing Company,

Des Plaines, 111.

22 Filed: April 5,1971

21 App1.N0.: 131,079

[52] US. Cl. ..251/256, 137/495, 137/116.5, 303/54, 267/175 [51]. Int. Cl. ..F16k 31/524, F16k 31/143 [58] Field of Search ...137/495, 116.5; 251/163, 176, 251/253, 256, 257, 258, 259, 263; 267/170,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,376,490 5/1945 Kelley ..303/54 2,483,581 10/1949 Hinrichs ..251/256 3,013,790 12/1961 Anderson et a1. ..267/175 3,021,724 2/1962 Segel ..251/256 X 3,390,921 7/1968 Klimek ..303/54 X 3,416,843 12/ 1968 Kobnick ..251/263 X 3,586,306 6/1971 Reece ..267/ 175 X Primary Examiner-William R. Cline Attorney-Parker, Carter & Markey [57] ABSTRACT A hand control valve moved by compression of a spring and a shim disc having van'able depth pockets whereby the amount of prestressing of the spring may be varied without disassembly of the valve mechanism.

6 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUS 8 1912 SHEET 2 0F 2 HAND con'mor. VALVE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hand control valve is disclosed in which a piston is movable in response to handle rotation to close an exhaust passage and open a passage through the valve, the piston being movable in response to force exerted on a spring engaging the piston. The handle rotates a cam member to exert force on the spring. A shim disc is provided between the cam member and a housing part, the shim disc having a plurality of variable depth pockets for reception of fingers fixed on the housing part whereby the prestressing of varied.

This invention relates to hand control valves useful in the air-brake systems of tractor-trailer vehicles and the like.

One purpose of the-invention is to provide a hand control valve having self-contained means for prestressing an operable spring therein.

Another purpose is to provide a hand control valve assembly including a shim having a variably effective operating thickness.

Another purpose is to provide a hand control valve having means therein for varying the prestressing of a contained spring without disassembly of the valve structure per se.

Other purposes may appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in partial cross section;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view;

FIG. 3 is a detail view;

FIG. 4 is a detail view;

FIG. 5 is a developed view of the structure of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view in perspective of camming elements of the invention.

DESCRIPTION THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, the numeral 1 generally designates a valve housing. Indicated at 1a is a steering column attaching bracket. The housing 1 has fluid pressure outlet and inlet ports 2,3. A dual-headed valve element 4 controls communication between ports 2 and 3. A valve-operating piston 5 is reciprocal in the housing 1. An exhaust opening 5a in the piston 5 communicates with exhaust outlet 7 in housing 1.

A valve operating spring 10 engages the piston 5. The opposite end of spring 10 is engaged by valveoperating cam plate 11 mounted for reciprocation in housing 1. A rotatable shaft 12 carries camming disc 13 having cam surfaces 13a in engagement with the upper, curved camming surfaces 14 of cam plate 11. Ears 11a on plate 1 1 engage suitable recesses in the housing (not shown) to preclude rotation while permitting reciprocation of plate 11. A handle 6 is rotatable on housing 1 and suitably engages the shaft 12 for rotation thereof, a rotational excursion of the order of 75 being preferred.

said spring may be A housing part 16 is secured to housing 1 as by the fasteners 17 for example. Part 16 surrounds and overlies the cam plate 11 and extends substantially thereabove.

The handle 6 includes a cup-shaped portion 6a secured as by fastener 6b to the shaft 12 and having its circumferential wall rotatable about and surrounding the upward, reduced, cylindrical extension 16a of member 16. A friction ring 16b is carried by extension 16a and engages the inner surface of the circumferential wall of handle'portion 6a. As set forth below, handle 6, portion 6a and shaft 12 are adjustably movable axially of housing 1.

As may be best seen in FIG. 3, the extension 16a of member 16 has circumferentially spaced, radially, inwardly extending fingers 20 which, as shown, are three in number equally spaced, and extend into the opening 16c in the end of housing part 16. Surrounding the shaft 12 and in slidable relation therewith is a centrally apertured shim disc 21. As may be best seen in FIG. 4 the disc 21 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, upwardly and outwardly, radially open peripheral pockets 22. When, as shown, the fingers 20 are three in number, the pockets 22 are conveniently provided as 12 in number and arranged in three sets of four pockets each. In this event, as may be best seen in the developed view of FIG. 5, the pockets of each set vary identically in depth from each other, the resulting configuration having three pockets of equal depth arranged from each other at each of four positions about the disc 21 and providing, as appears hereinbelow, for selection of four levels of prestressing in spring 10.

A noncircular shoulder 25 is secured to and may be integral with shaft 12 for reception in corresponding bore 13b of cam 13.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In response to rotation of handle 6 in one direction, the cam 13, riding on camming surfaces 14 of plate 11 and rotating with shaft 12, forces the plate 11 against spring 10 in a compressing direction. Forces thus transmitted through spring 10 are exerted against piston 5 to urge the same downwardly, as the parts are shown in the drawings. Downward movement of piston 5, against the countervailing action of spring 30, serves first to close the exhaust passage 5a against the upper head of the valve member 4. Continued downward movement of the piston 5 opens the lower head portion of the valve 4 to communicate the ports 2,3 in well known manner. Radial slots or grooves 31 assure passage of fluid even when and if piston 5 should bottom on the internal housing part through which the stem of valve 4 extends.

The invention provides that spring 10 may be easily and simply prestressed as desired to eflect the amount of movement of piston 5 per unit of rotation ofarrn or handle 6.

The shim disc 21 is engaged by fingers 20 in the extension 16a of fixed housing part 16. With springs 10,30 urging plate 11 and cam 13 against the undersurface of shim 21 and cam 13 engaging shoulder 25, the shim disc 21 thus positions the shaft 12 axially of housing 1 and positions the cam 13 against the cam surface 14 of plate 1 1. Thus when the pockets of least depth in each of the three pocket sets in the disc 21 are engaged by the fingers 20, the shaft 12 and cam 13 will be at their lowermost position as shown in the drawings and the spring will be at its maximum prestressing.

The operator adjusts the prestressing of spring 10 by dislodging the grommet 6c, and then removing fastener 6b, handle 6 and cup 6a. Thereupon the operator, through opening 16c, merely presses downwardly, as the parts are shown, on the shim disc 21, plate 11 and spring 10 and rotates the disc 21 to position the selected pockets 22 of the desired depth in alignment with the fingers 20. Upon release of the disc 21 the latter will rise to seat the fingers in the newly selected pockets 22, thus repositioning cam 13 and varying the prestress of spring 10. Thereafter the elements 6, 6a, 6b and 6c are replaced and the valve is ready for operation under the changed conditions.

With the selected prestressing of spring 10 thus established, the operator is provided with a predetermined unit of movement of piston 5 per unit of movement of handle 6 and thus a given fluid pressure delivery to the trailer brakes, for example. Grooves 31 preclude a shutofi of such pressure. A dead man feature is provided, springs 10,30 returning the parts to the position shown in FIG. 1 upon release of the handle 6 by the operator.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a manually operable valve assembly, a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve member in said housing controlling communication between said inlet and said outlet, a valve operating piston member movable in said housing, a valve operating spring having one of its ends engaging said piston member, a plate engaging the opposite end of said spring, a camming surface on said plate, a handle assembly rotatable on said housing and controlling a cam member engaging said camming surface, and means for variably adjusting the position of said cam member independently of said handle assembly thereby varying the position of said plate to vary the prestress of said spring, said lastnamed means including a finger configuration fixed on said housing, a shim member between said cam member and said finger configuration, said shim member having a plurality of pockets of variable depth,

said shim member being movable to engage said finger configuration selectively with said pockets.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said handle assembly includes a shaft, said cam member constitutes a disc carried on said shaft, and said shim member includes a second disc surrounding and slidably engaging said shaft beyond said cam member from said camming surface.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said finger configuration includes a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced, radially inwardly extending fingers, said shim member takes the form of a disc and said pockets include a plurality of axially and radially open pockets arranged in sets, the pockets of each set varying in depth from each other, the corresponding pockets of each set being equal in depth, there being one set of pockets for each of said inwardly extending t manually operable valve assembly including a housing, valve elements in said housing movable in response to compression action on a spring, a cam plate in said housing engaging one end of said spring, a manually rotatable cam member in said housing and having a cam surface engaging said plate and means in said housing for adjusting the position of said cam member and said cam plate with respect to said housing, said means including a shimming member and a finger and pockets structure between said shimming member and said housing, said finger and pockets structure having interengaging surfaces of varying depth, said shimming member operatively engaging said cam member and being rotatable to selectively engage said fingers and pockets whereby said plate may be continuously urged against said spring to a greater or lesser degree.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said housing has an opening at one of its ends and said finger and pockets structure is positioned adjacent and accessible through said opening whereby said shimming member may be rotated without access to said valve elements.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said cam member includes a shaft element extending through said opening and characterized by and including a handle element secured to said shaft element externally of said housing. 

1. In a manually operable valve assembly, a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve member in said housing controlling communication between said inlet and said outlet, a valve operating piston member movable in said housing, a valve operating spring having one of its ends engaging said piston member, a plate engaging the opposite end of said spring, a camming surface on said plate, a handle assembly rotatable on said housing and controlling a cam member engaging said camming surface, and means for variably adjusting the position of said cam member independently of said handle assembly thereby varying the position of said plate to vary the prestress of said spring, said last-named means including a finger configuration fixed on said housing, a shim member between said cam member and said finger configuration, said shim member having a plurality of pockets of variable depth, said shim member being movable to engage said finger configuration selectively with said pockets.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said handle assembly includes a shaft, said cam member constitutes a disc carried on said shaft, and said shim member includes a second disc surrounding and slidably engaging said shaft beyond said cam member from said camming surface.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said finger configuration includes a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced, radially inwardly extending fingers, said shim member takes the form of a disc and said pockets include a plurality of axially and radially open pockets arranged in sets, the pockets of each set varying in depth from each other, the corresponding pockets of each set being equal in depth, there being one set of pockets for each of said inwardly extending fingers.
 4. A manually operable valve assembly including a housing, valve elements in said housing movable in response to compression action on a spring, a cam plate in said housing engaging one end of said spring, a manually rotatable cam member in said housing and having a cam surface engaging said plate and means in said housing for adjusting the position of said cam member and said cam plate with respect to said housing, said means including a shimming member and a finger and pockets structure between said shimming member and said housing, said finger and pockets structure having interengaging surfaces of varying depth, said shimming member operatively engaging said cam member and being rotatable to selectively engage said fingers and pockets whereby said plate may be continuously urged against said spring to a greater or lesser degree.
 5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said housing has an opening at one of its ends and said finger and pockets structure is positioned adjacent and accessible through said opening whereby said shimming member may be rotated without access to said valve elements.
 6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said cam member includes a shaft element extending through said opening and characterized by and including a handle element secured to said shaft element externally of said housing. 